The UK government is holding a consultation about what sort of patent licenses an "open" standard should require. Anyone that develops free software (free as in freedom, not a matter of price) and would like it to be used in the UK has reason to be concerned with this, along with anyone that uses or distributes free software in the UK.

The federal government and big companies want limitless new powers to spy on you, and they plan to get them via legislation called CISPA — the "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act" (HR 3523).

The FTA is a global community and network of academic and social organizations active in the fields of Free Software, Standards and Hardware. It is currently hosted by the Free Knowledge Institute (FKI) after its foundation in 2008 by the FKI, Open Universiteit Nederland, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and Universitet i Agder.

I'm in Melbourne to advocate for free software users and developers at the latest round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), and I'm chomping at the bit to share a little good news with you all. The tone of the discussion here has turned much more friendly to us—and it's thanks to your activism.